


Imperfect

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Healing Music Suite No. 1: Love Affair of a Museum Curator and a Doctor [6]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Family Feels, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 03:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16526576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: Barbara and Nomura discuss parenting and take Zelda, Nomura's ex-familiar, trick-or-treating.





	Imperfect

**Author's Note:**

> A little late for Halloween, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. It feels good to feel good writing these characters again.
> 
> This takes place in my Familiars AU, more info can be found it on my tumblr here: im-the-king-of-the-ocean.tumblr.com/familiarsau
> 
> In the story,
> 
> "Nomura" refers to the changeling we all know and love from the show.
> 
> "Zelda" refers to her familiar who she and Barbara are raising.
> 
> "Barry" is Zelda's nickname for Barbara in place of something like "Mom".
> 
> "Nomi" is Zelda's nickname for Nomura in place of something like "Mom".

Family is not something, Barbara finds, that she does particularly easily.The idea surprises her, at first, because this is not the first time she has both child and significant other.But, she realizes, it makes sense.With Jim, she was, after those first five years, his only parent, and subsequently the one making all the decisions.She didn’t have to work with anyone, especially not anyone as stubborn as Nomura.

And, if she’s going to be completely honest, Jim was a much more well-behaved child than Zelda too.Though a part of her does wonder if that’s because Jim’s father’s departure had quickly been followed by her residency.Jim was empathetic then, and still is.He picked up on her struggles and tried not to make things harder for her.On the one hand, Barbara is grateful.On the other, she aches to know how much that stole from his childhood.

Zelda, by comparison, has always had two parental figures who love her.Nomura works from home these days as a consultant for the museum, so is almost always there when Zelda gets home from school.In the days before Zelda became a part of their family, too, Barbara finally managed to get a better, less exhausting work schedule.She’s been able to be there for Zelda far more than she ever was for Jim. 

Barbara tries not to feel guilty about that too often.

“BARRY!”

Footsteps pound on the floorboards, snapping Barbara out of her thoughts.She focuses back in on the real world right as Zelda rushes up her.

The ten-year-old staggers to a stop right in front of the chair Barbara’s sitting in.She falls forward, but catches herself on the dining room table before she can tumble onto Barbara.

“ARE YOU READY TO GO, BARRY?ALSO DO YOU THINK I’M SCARY?”Zelda steps back and strikes a pose.

Barbara winces.“There’s no need to yell, Zelda.I’m right here.”

“Sorry.”Zelda deflates.“Buuuut, do you think I’m scary?Nomi helped me with the make-up.”She turns her head so Barbara can see the excellent job Nomura did making her ex-familiar look like a zombie.

“You’re a very scary zombie.”Barbara smiles softly. _Focus,_ she reminds herself.It isn’t fair to Zelda to compare her to Jim.Barbara can’t change the past.The child she’s responsible for her in the here and now needs her.

“ _Baaarry._ ”Zelda drags out the nickname.“I’m Frankenstein’s Creation, remember?Not a _zombie_.Well, he’s kinda like a zombie.The first zombie.But still.”She grabs Barbara’s hands in her own and then pulls.“We gotta go or Otto and Enrique are gonna get all the candy and I’ll have none and it will be The _Worst_.”

Barbara allows herself to be pulled up.She smirks, and swiftly swoops down and scoops Zelda up in her arms.“We can’t have that, now can we?”She spins Zelda around while carrying her to the front door, where Nomura waits for them.

Zelda laughs.But, the second Barbara puts her down, she’s out the door and running over to the Domzalski house to meet up with her friends, Otto, who lives with Nana, and Enrique, who got dropped off by his parents earlier.

“How are you doing?”Nomura asks Barbara as she takes their and Zelda’s jackets out of the closet.

“I’m okay.”Barbara purposefully looks out into the night where she can see her adoptive daughter greeting her friends.In the distance, she can hear the sounds of trick-or-treaters going from house to house.“Really, I am.”

“You’re not a bad parent.”Nomura takes Barbara’s head in her hand and turns it to look at her.“Cause one of us has to be good, and I’m the changeling so it can’t be me.”

Barbara snorts and rolls her eyes.“That never meant—”

“It will to her, one day.”Nomura interrupts.She sighs.“Barbara, you did your best for Jim.He knows that.He knows you can love both him _and_ Zelda.”

“I know and, Nomura, Zelda will never—we’ve already told her everything.She knows and—”

“One day it will sink in what that ‘everything’ truly means,” Nomura stops Barbara again.“Please.Let’s not talk of it.Not tonight.”

“Alright.”Barbara glances at Zelda outside again.She sighs.“We’re really not good at this, are we?”

“The way I see it, we’re not perfect but we’re trying.”Nomura wraps an arm around Barbara and pulls her in close.

Barbara leans into Nomura.She reaches up to cup her face.“I miss the days when I could be taller than you.It was so easy to kiss you back then.”

Nomura retorts, “I can’t say I do.Because I quite enjoy doing this.”She leans down to swiftly peck Barbara on the lips.

“Eww! _Gross_.”Zelda apparently returned during their moment.“Now, come _on_!Nomi, you have to help me get more candy cause you’re a troll and if people think you’re in costume, they’ll think it’s a super good one and then they’ll give you more candy and then you give the candy to me and—”

Nomura grins at Barbara, but speaks to Zelda, “I’m afraid all the neighbors already know I’m a troll.”When she hears Zelda pout, she adds, “But I’m sure the people a couple blocks overwill be very interested in parting with some extra candy.”

“If we make it that far.”Barbara adds helpfully, as she locks the door.

Zelda runs ahead to join Otto and Enrique again.

Barbara and Nomura follow at a slower pace.After their fingers brush together, they clasp their hands together.

None of this is easy, but, in the end, Barbara figures, it’s all going to be worth it.


End file.
